Barry Robson has urged Dylan Easton to take his game to the next level after signing his new long-term deal at Raith Rovers.
The fans’ favourite has penned a contract extension that ties him to the Stark’s Park club for the next three years.
The agreement puts to bed talk of a possible move to rivals Dunfermline, who failed with two bids for the 31-year-old last month.
Easton has spoken of how happy he is at Raith, where he moved in 2022 and has been a regular performer for the past three campaigns.
But Robson is convinced the former St Johnstone and Forfar attacker has improved since his own arrival midway through last season – and can get even better.
“It’s a big boost and it’s something we’ve been working on for a while,” Robson said of the deal. “I think you can see the type of people I want to have at the club.
“We want people to be able to entertain the fans – Paul McMullan, Lewis Vaughan, Jack Hamilton, obviously Callum Smith when we get him back [from injury]. Dylan Easton comes under that category.
“So, you can see the type. But they all need to run, they all need to work as well.
Robson: ‘We’ve made Easton better’
“Obviously, he’s a fans’ favourite, and rightly so. He’s a talented player.
“But I think since I’ve come in here, we’ve got him better. We’ve made him better, he needs to remember that – and he will.
“We have to keep pushing him, but he is a player that we’ve been trying to keep for some considerable time.
“We managed to get the deal done and I’m just pleased for him and for the football club – and also, most importantly, for the fans.”
Easton scooped multiple player of the year awards at Raith for 2024/25 and is in line to cross the 150-game threshold for the club in the first half of next term.
“He’s a good kid, he wants to learn and that’s great,” added Robson to Raith TV ahead of Saturday’s friendly against Falkirk. “He’s 31 years old, but you never stop learning; I’m still learning myself.
“What I said to Dylan is, ‘if you look after your body in the right way and you do the right things, you can play until you’re 36, 37’.
“You’ve got to play as long as you can, and he’s got the opportunity to do that by looking after himself. Because once you stop playing, that’s it, it’s gone.”
Meanwhile, Raith are expected to focus on a defensive recruit next as they strengthen Robson’s squad.
Conversation